The invention relates to an apparatus for pressing shirts having a flexible inflatable body, a bottom part having a fan for inflating the inflatable body and on which the inflatable body is fastened by way of a bottom section, and a top part, which is disposed above the bottom part and on which the inflatable body is fastened by way of a top section and is connected to the bottom part by a load-bearing structure disposed within the inflatable body, the load-bearing structure being connected in a vertically displaceable manner to the bottom part.
Such an apparatus is known, for example, from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 199 13 642 A1. This document describes an apparatus for drying and/or pressing damp laundry, in the case of which a collar-retaining device is firmly disposed above the inflatable body. Furthermore, a bottom part with further necessary components is disposed beneath the inflatable body, which has to be at least as high as the shirts that are to be pressed. This results in the appliance having a considerable overall height, which makes it difficult to accommodate.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for pressing shirts that overcomes the hereinaforementioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that achieves a more compact configuration to render the apparatus easier to accommodate.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for pressing shirts, including a flexible inflatable body having a bottom section and a top section, a bottom part having a fan communicating with the inflatable body for inflating the inflatable body, the inflatable body fastened to the bottom part at the bottom section, a load-bearing structure disposed within the inflatable body and connected in a vertically displaceable manner to the bottom part, a top part being disposed above the bottom part, the inflatable body fastened to the top part at the top section, the load-bearing structure connecting the top part to the bottom part, and the load-bearing structure being movably disposed to assume an extended position in which the load-bearing structure is extended out of the bottom part when the apparatus is in operation and a retracted position in which the load-bearing structure is retracted into the bottom part when the apparatus is not in operation.
By virtue of the inflatable body contributing largely to the overall height of the shirt-pressing apparatus, the invention makes it possible to achieve considerably more compact dimensions of the shirt-pressing apparatus outside the operating state. It is precisely in this state in which the apparatus has to be stowed away that small dimensions are necessary. In the operating state, in contrast, a large height does not prove disadvantageous because, in order to be used, the shirt-pressing apparatus has to be set up in unconfined conditions in any case. Within the inflatable body, it is possible to dispose further inner inflatable bodies, which are subjected, in particular, to relatively high pressure and can, likewise, be folded up when the top part is lowered. These inner inflatable bodies can be supported on the load-bearing structure to make possible for the inflatable-body enclosure to be forced specifically outward at certain locations. It is possible, here, for the connecting elements between the inner inflatable bodies and the load-bearing structure, for the purpose of absorbing the compressive forces, to be fastened in a displaceable manner on the load-bearing structure so that they can be pushed together when the load-bearing structure is lowered. The inner inflatable bodies may, thus, be provided with loops or rings that can be displaced along the load-bearing structure. Use may also be made, as load-bearing structure, of lowerable bars between which nettings or air-permeable fabric sections are tensioned, it being possible for the inner inflatable bodies to be supported against these and for their connections to the bars to be displaced along the latter. For example, the nettings or the air-permeable fabric sections may be fastened on the bars by straightforward loops or rings.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, there is provided a connecting device for transmitting at least one of tensile forces and compressive forces, the connecting device connecting the load-bearing structure to the inflatable body between regions in which the inflatable body is fastened to the bottom part and to the top part, the connecting device being displaceably connected along the load-bearing structure.
To insure that the operation of lowering a button-strip clamp is not obstructed, a connection between the load-bearing structure and the button-strip clamp is, advantageously, only disposed at the top end. As a result, the region of the inflatable body that is located therebetween can fold up during lowering of the load-bearing structure and/or of the button-strip clamp.
In accordance with a further-feature of the invention, the inflatable body has an inside and the connecting device is pulling strips fastened on the inside and delimit inflation of the inflatable body.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the connecting device is inflatable air cushions disposed in the inflatable body and forcing the inflatable body outward at given locations.
It is the case with the button-strip clamp envisaged that the inflatable body, which is tensioned during operation, butts at the rear against the rear side of the button-strip clamp. This may result, on the two sides of the button-strip clamp, in producing a spacing between the inflatable body and a tensioned shirt because both the shirt and the inflatable body are pulled taut and located between the shirt and the inflatable body is a part of the button-strip clamp against which the button strip or buttonhole strip is clamped for fixing purposes. Such a spacing results in the inflatable bag not fitting closely against those regions of the shirt that are located in the vicinity of the button-strip clamp, and this may impair the pressing result in these regions.
To prevent this, the rear side of the button-strip clamp is substantially curved and, at the borders, moves at a shallow angle toward the plane in which the button strip or the buttonhole strip of a shirt that is to be pressed is clamped firmly. It is, thus, possible for the inflatable body in the inflated state, at a very small spacing from the borders of the button-strip clamp, to fit closely from the rear against the shirt that is to be pressed. The regions of the shirt in the vicinity of the button strip or of the buttonhole strip are, thus, not exposed to any abrupt transitions. As a result, it is possible to achieve pressing of the shirt without folds.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, there is provided a button-strip clamp for fixing one of the button strip of a shirt and a buttonhole strip of the shirt, the button-strip clamp being fastened in a vertically displaceable manner on the bottom part.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the button-strip clamp and the load-bearing structure are coupled to one another with respect to vertical displacement.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the button-strip clamp and the load-bearing structure are vertical displaceably coupled to one another.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the button-strip clamp has a top connected to the top part.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the button-strip clamp has a rear side, the inflatable body with the load-bearing structure pushes upward in an inflated state of the inflatable body and butts against the rear side of the button-strip clamp in the pushed upward state, the button-strip clamp has clamping surfaces against which one of the button strip or the buttonhole strip are to be pressed for fixing the button strip or the buttonhole strip, the clamping surfaces define a plane and have lateral borders, and the rear side of the button-strip clamp is located in a vicinity of the plane of the clamping surfaces at least at the lateral borders.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the clamping surfaces have outer borders, the rear side of the button-strip clamp has borders, and the borders of the rear side of the button-strip clamp are connected to the outer borders of the clamping surfaces and enclose an acute angle with the outer borders of the clamping surfaces.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the load-bearing structure has a plurality of supporting rods connected to one another and disposed substantially parallel to one another, only one of the supporting rods is mounted axially in the bottom part and is secured against tilting, and a remainder of the supporting rods are guided axially in the bottom part and are not secured against tilting.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an apparatus for pressing shirts, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.